Tag aligner means



c. A. PARKER 3,249,353

TAG ALIGNER MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A G E N T CHARLES APARKER May 3, 1966 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 May 3, 1966 C. A. PARKER 3,249,353

TAG ALIGNER MEANS Filed Aug. 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIC-3.2

AGENT May 3, 1966 c. A. PARKER 3,249,353

TAG ALIGNER MEANS Filed Aug. 29, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CHARLES A.PARKER AGENT United States Patent O 3,249,353 TAG ALIGNER MEANS Charles A. Parker, East Orange, N J., assigner to Kimball Systems, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,313 Claims. v(Cl. 271-10) The present invention relates generally to improvement in devices for aligning the edges of stacked records in the form of perforated merchandise tags, as said tags are advanced toward a feed station, whereby the tags may be sequentially` separated and fed by suitable transport means past the usual sensing devices.

As set forth in 'a copending application No. 83,341 -iiled January 17, 1961, by Richard M. Elliott et al. for Sheet Feeding Devices and assigned to the A. Kimball Company, the same being the assignee for the present application, the purposes to which the above perforated tags are ideally suited require that the tags retain ability of being accurately processed even when roughly handled. To this end, each tag is provided with two or more locating holes by which the tag may be fed by known transport means acting on internal surfaces not subjected to abuse and also accurately positioned with respect to a device for sensing coded data indications on the tag in positions accurately oriented with respect to the locating holes.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide improved means for aligning a tag relative to the tag separating and to said transport means, during the separating and feeding `of the tags one at a time from a stack.

Another object of the invention pertains to power means for eifecting such tag alignment independently of any means urging the tag stack toward the position of individual tag engagement by the tag separating and transport devices.

As another object the invention provides means by which succeeding tags may be prealigned within the storage magazine during operations of the tag separating devices in bringing successive tags into engagement with `the tag transport devices.

Further, the invention provides tag aligning means including a xed can member and a means operable by the the tag separating devices for displacing a tag into cooperation therewith in such manner that during repeated tag separating operations a subsequent tag may be displaced incrementally each operation toward its fully aligned condition.

As a further feature such partial displacement towardv fully aligned condition is simultaneously effective with respect to a plurality of tags.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby a unitary member in addition to providing for tag alignment serves also as throat guide means for entry of a tag within the tag feeding transport devices.

Further, said unitary member provides means for straightening any warped tags entering the throat openmg.

Yet another feature of the invention includes the provision of an on/off setting control, whereby to enable or to disable the operations of the tag aligning means as effected by the said tag separating means.

The above and other features of the invention including novel combinations of parts and details of construction will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention, with parts broken away; 4

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational section in enlarged Patented May 3, 1966 ice scale, taken substantially on a line midpoint along the tag separating and transport devices;

FIG. 3 is a detail view in enlarged scale showing parts of the tag stack advancing means of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a detail view in enlarged scale showing parts of the tag separating means of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is -an enlfamged perspective view of the movable member for tag alinging;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a unitary plate member forming a combination tag aligner and entry throat guide to the tag transport devices;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a typical record tag to be processed; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the jogger operating clip.

As in the manner more fully set forth in the above copending aplication, in general, a magazine is provided for holding a large number of tags,-said magazine comprising in the instant case a removable tray for storing and guiding the tags by their edges, said tray being adapted to be supported upon the base structure of the lmachine in manner inclined suiciently so that the force of gravity equals substantially the friction tending to retard the movement of the tags along the tray. A tag separating and feeding device is arranged at the lower end of the magazine, the stack of record tags being urged against such device under a constant pressure without regard to the number of records in the tray. Said separating device, to be hereinafter more fully described, com-prises a reciprocating slide having shoulders adapted to separate a single tag from the stack. The separating mechanism is adapted to feed each record individually to a position where the locating holes in the record are registered with the path of movement of feed pins which transport the record and which register the coded area thereof with sensing means, the movement of the feed pins being synchronized with the reciprocation of the separating slide so that the feed pins enter the locating holes of the record smoothly without stopipng its movement. IThe record is fed by the pins past a sensing device and is thereafter stripped from the pins.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there may be seen-a record in the form of a perforated merchandise tag T. The tag is provided with a plurality of locating holes 1 which are accurately oriented with respect to one or more fields 2 and 3 of coded data indications. While the illustrated tag is provided with code perforations, it should be understood that forms of recording other than perforations,

may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a storage tray 4 having tags T stacked therein is placed upon the base plate S of the machine in a manner to decline therewith toward a separating and feeding mechanism which includes a fixed. plate 6 suitably slotted to expose a reciprocating separating slide 7 (see also FIG. 4) adapted to separate the lowermost tag from the stack in the magazine. During such separating operation the tag is fed upwardly to enter the transport means, through a slot deiined by the fixed plate 6 on the one side and on the other side by a guide block 8 supported upon an arcuate cover plate 9 (FIG. 2) hinged to the machine framing at 10. Upon entering the transport means a tag is brought into position where the locating holes 1 therein may be engaged by feed pins 11 mounted in the peripheries of a pair of feed wheels 12. The rotation of the feed wheels and the reciprocation of the separating slide 7 are so timed that each tag is moved along a path where its locating holes 1 are oriented in the path of movement of the feed pins. `As in manner set forth in the above copending application each tag is fed in a counterclockwise ydirection along a circular path, the feed path being defined herein by the peripheries of 3 the feed wheels 12 and arcuate plate 9. Each tag is fed thereafter past a read station 13 adapted to sense by photoelectric means the code perforations in the tagx l As for the earlier known structure, the tag magazine slopes not only downwardly but also rearwardly so that the tendency for any cards stacked therein is to rest upon `the bottom and against the rearward inner edge of the tray 4. The inclined disposition of the magazine is such that the force of gravity tending to cause the tags to slide downwardly along the tray substantially equals the yforce of friction resisting such movements so that no appreciable changes in the force exerted against the lowermost tag 'in the stack are caused by a variation in the number of 'tags in the magazine. To insure that the stack of tags :is moved downwardly along the magazine tray for engagement with the tag separating mechanism under substantially constant pressure special means is provided including a pressure plate 62 (FIG. 3) urged to bear against the upper end of the stack of tags, as in the manner hereinafter to be described.

Tag separating mechanism The tag separating mechanism includes the slide 7 (FIG. l) adapted to reciprocate heightwise at the lower end. of the tag stack in the magazine, the slide being guided for such movement by suitable blocks 14 fixe-d to the plate 6. The plate 6 is provided with a clearance slot 15 (FIG. 4) which receives a pair of separating knife holders 16 fixed to the slide 7. The holders are provided with a tag picker knife 17 adapted to engage the lower edge of the end tag of the stack yresting against the holders 16 so that as the Islide 7 is reciprocated heightwise the knife 17 engages the lower e-dgeof the end tag in the stack to separate the tag from the stack and move it heightwise from the magazine. To insure firm engagement of the tag with the knife holders 16, and hence, also alignment of its edge with the knife 17, each holder is provided with openings 18 (FIG. 1) leading from a cavity in the slide 7 which is suitably connected rby flexible tubes 19 (FIG. 2) and suitable conduits to a vacuum pump, not shown. The pump may be of any suitable type capable of applying a substantially constant suction. Thus, there is applied to the end tag in the stack a constant suction through the openings 18 to hold the tag rmly in engagement with the holders 16. He'retofore similar suction means have been applied also to that portion of the end tag adjacent its upper edge to urge the tag against the usual end tag block plate means 6 whereby to align the tag with the throat slot for entering the feed transport means leading to the tag reading devices. However, as hereinafter to be described, the improved 4aligning means of the present invention makes it unnecessary to *require the latter said suction devices.

The slide 7 is slotted adjacent its opposite sides and has trunnion pins 20 extending through the slots, the

pins being received in the slotted ends of 4a pair of arms 21 fixed to a shaft 22. The shaft i-s mounted in suitable bearings in the frame and in portions of -a block 23. One end of said shaft has fast thereon an arm 24 having link connection 25 to 'an eccentric 26 (FIG. 2) integral with a shaft 27 adapted in well known manner for cyclic operations by the electric motor and thus causing the slide 7 to be reciprocated heightwise. Thus, tags are separated continuously one at a time from the stack in the magazine and moved heightwise through the throat slot into a predetermined relationship to the pair of feed wheels 12. Feed wheels 12 are secured to'a shaft 28 in such relation that the pins 11 in the two wheels are aligned in cooperating pairs. Shaft 28 for the wheels 12 operates in unison with the `shaft 27 for eccentric 26, with the gear ratios being so designed that the feed wheels 12 are rotated the distance between the feed pins 11 during one complete reciprocation of the feed slide 7. A tag is thus moved upwardly by the feed slide 7 along a path converging with the path of the feed pins and in synchronized movement `so that the tag and pins are moving at substant1ally the same speed as they are brought together for engagement.

Tag aligner mechanism It frequently occurs when placing -a batch of tags within the magazine tray 4 that not all of the tags will be fully seated and some of the tags may be skewed angularly in such manner that the feed holes 1 thereof are not in proper parallel alignment for reception with the pairs of pins 11 on the transport wheels 12. Heretofore one manner of obviating such a condition is to provide a cam means which as the tags are advanced by the usual stack advancing means will engage any displaced-tags and force the same into aligned condition under the power of the said advancing means. However, the amount of limited force that can reasonably be exerted upon the tagsn a magazine stack feeding is related to the required force which can be exerted upon the tags by the tag sepa-rating or picker device to extract each tag from the stack'for movement intothe transport structures for tag reading operations. I

The force required by the tag stack advancing means to rearrange any displaced tags bly suoli he'etofofe known camming means is not 'only propotiontely great;

er than the limited controlled power requirement for merely advancing the vtag stack but acts, b'ylcausing a varying power load requirement, to defeat the desired purpose of maintaining a uniform constant forceupon the tags as each is brought into successive position for engagement by the picker knife for separating the forward tag and moving it into the tag transport means to the sensing devices.

Also, it is well known that tags when placed in stacked formation have a tendency to adhere to each other, so that heretofore jogger meanswere provided for vibrating the tag stack to thereby loosen the stack pile and to cause any tags not properly seated to drop into proper seating alignmentwith the tag supporting structure.

Where, as inthe present instance, however, such supporting structure comprises removable trays itmay occur that in any warping of a tray, or any foreign substance adhering to the tray or the support means for the tray will act to cause the tray itself and thus the tags therein to be held out of proper aligned relation with the tag separating and feed means of the tag transport devices and such alignment would not therefore necessarily concide with proper alignment of a tag with the tag separating picker knife.

The devices of the instant invention provides novel means whereby the tags are caused to be aligned by operations of the tag separating picker knife in cooperation with a unitary structure providing also throat guide entry of a tag to the transport devices. Such an arrangement attains a more perfect alignment of a tag than heretofore possible and without altering the force as applied throughout operations of the tag advancing means in moving the tag stack.

Ivvfounted atone end by suitable pin and slot means 29 (FIG. 1 to the underside of the support plate 5 for the tag magazine tray 4 and having the opposite end thereof supported upon a suitable bracket 30 (see also FIG. 2) is a slide 31. Upon slide 31 there is secured, by means of an open. tolerance pin and slot connection 32 (FIG. 5),

a tag jogger member 33, such loose connection permitting the opposite end of said jogger to belifted, as in the manner hereinafter to be described. To prevent any rotation of jogger 33 on the pin 32 a short spring stud 34 fast thereto extends downwardly through a slot 35 in slide 31 and thence between anopen end slot 36 in the ixed bracket30. At the leftward end of slide 31 there is secured a long spring stud 37, extending downwardly and through the open end slot 36 of bracket 30. A suitable spring 38 is connected between studs 34 and 37 serves 'to bias the jogger member 33 leftwardly and Y slide 31 and jogger 33 to the left or to the right.

- thereof.

downwardly on the slide 30. `A suitable extension'31" (FIG. 1) of slide 31 provides manual means for setting The leftward end of jogger 33 includes a block 33 integral therewith and an upwardly extending projection 39. A'suitable open end slot 40 in the tray 4 is provided so that projection 39 and the block 33 may extend upwardly therethrough. Y

In the contemplated mode of operation a stack of tags may be stored within a number of trays 4. Slide 31 with jogger 33 and projection 39 are moved tothe rightward position and a tray of tags is placed upon the support plate 5, so that the forward or left-hand tag is now against projection 39 and with a plurality of the forward tags being now over the jogger block 33'.

It is recalled that the inclined disposition of the magazine is such that the force of gravity tending to cause the tags to slide downwardly along the tray substantially equals the force.v of friction resisting lsuch movements so that no appreciable changes in the force exerted against the lowermost tag in the stack are caused by a variation in the number of tags in the magazine tray. Toinsure that the stack of tags is moved downwardly along the tray 4 under a substantially constant pressure the following means are provided.

'thereof within respective recessed busings 41, by means of suitable set pins 42, is a tube 43 having an elongated slot -or opening 44 (FIG. 3) along the bottom surface Extending longitudinally through said tube is a shaft 45 including thereon a helical or worm tooth cam 46. Shaft 45 is supported for rotation within suitable left and right end brackets 47, 48, said bracketshaving also supported fast thereon the respective bushings 41.

The right-hand end'of shaft 45 has coupling connection 49 with a disc 50 loosely mounted upon shaft 51 of electric motor M. Disc 50 4is held in frictional engagement with a bushing 52 (pinned to motor shaft 51) by means of a compression spring 53 which may beregulated to control the frictional drive operation of shaft 45 in accordance with an adjustment of the nuts 54 on the threaded end of said motor shaft.

Mounted for slidable move-ment upon tube 43 and adapted also for a pivoted movement upwardly thereon is a traveling carriage 55. Intermediately fulcrumed at 56 `upon said carriage is a lever 57 upon one endpof which is formed a hand knob 58. The opposite end of lever 57 is provided with'an upwardly extending pin 59, normally adapted by means of the weighted hand knob 58 to be held in raised condition for engagement'with the helical cam means 46. v

When it is desired to insert a tray of tags T an operator will rst lift knob 58 causing lever 57 to rock clockwise (FIG. 3) about point 56 and disengage pin 59 from cam shaft 46. As knob 58 is continued to be raised the surface 60 thereof engaging'the edge 61 of carriage 55 will now act to lift the carriage upwardly around tube 43. Extending downwardly from carriage 55 is a plate member 62 which in the lower position of said carriage is adapted for engaging the trailing tag of the stack. With the carriage in raised position the magazine tray 4 with tags T are readily inserted within the machine and thereafter by means of hand knob 58 the carriage 55 is manually adjusted whereby plate 62 is brought against the trailing tag and thereafter is lowered to effect engagement of pin 59 with the cam shaft 46, which shaft may be either continuously operating or may be started at this time. Thus in the operation of shaft 46 by the friction means 50 carriage 55 is now urged leftwardly and plate 62 will act to lmaintain a uniform pressure on the tag stack, against the forward stop plate 6, with the forward tag now being held in position to be raised by the tag separating knife 17 operated by the slide 7 earlier described.

Slide 7 has extending downwardly therefrom a pair `of .-air tube connectors 19 (FIGS. 2 and 8) to which the vacuum hoses 19 are connected. Mounted upon said connectors is a clip 63 yieldably held against the bottom surface of slide 7 by means of a suitable arched spring member 64 also monuted upon said connectors. The righthand end of clip 63 extends upwardly and rightwardly and during the above-described upward movement of slide 7 said end engages the underside of jogger 33 at the left end thereof and rocks said jogger upwardly about the loose pivot connection 32. Thus it will be apparent that any tags T positioned above the jogger block 33 will be raised therewith until stopped by engagement of certain of said tags with the undersurface 65 (FIG. 2,) of the guide plate 8. Said surface is constructed to be parallel with respect to the tag separating knife 17, so that during the above operations any tags inadvertently placed within the tray 4- in a skewed condition will upon engagement with said surface 65 be adjusted into a parallel aligned condition with respect to the tag separating knife 17, whereby to be properly picked up by said tag separating knife in subsequent operations thereof. Yieldable spring means 64 above described serves to permit a slight overstroking of the operating plate 7 after clip 63 is halted by the engagement of any tags with guide plate 8. -It will be noted that the rightward end of surface 65 slopes upwardly. Thus any tags of the stack which may perch-ance be misaligned sufficiently will engage with said slope and during each instant tag ejection operation, since the tags are advanced each time following a tag ejection, the operations ofthe jogger block 33' therewith will repeatedly bring such tags against the rescending slope of the cam surface. Therefore, the tags are gradually in step-by-step manner brought into edgewise alignment by the jogger devices as operated by the 4tag separating means; in lieu of the tags being forced downwardly lby engaging said cam surface under impetus of the tag advancing means,

as for the heretofore known devices.

Not -only is it important that each tag entering the tag transfer means be properly aligned with respect to the separating knife 17 and so properly brought into alignment for receiving the transport pins 11, but also in order to minimize any jamming at the throat opening a pair of corresponding cam face areas 66, 66 (FIG. 6) are provided upon the throat face of said guide plate 8. Said cam areas each extend inwardly from an opposite lateral edge of the plate, with each converging along the tag entry edge thereof and each yconverging with the throat guide face along respective bias lines 67, 67 extending from a point on the lateral edges of said plate to .respective points on the tag entry edge therof. While any tags which may be curled at the ends tend to be straightened somewhat by the compression induced by the stack feed it has been found that the above arrangement o-f the tag entry guide means will act to further align such tags and makes it possible to receive tags not otherwise capable of entering the throat means.

It is customary in many cases to provide tags with a tear off portion by line perforations which extend only .partially through the thickness of a tag. Such partial perforations by extruding the tags will unless proper means are provided act to cause a jamming -at the throat opening. To prevent this condition the .throat -face of plate 8 is provided with a recessed portion 68 therein for receiving such tag extrusions.

As earlier set forth guide plate 8 is mounted upon an arcuate plate 9 (FIG. 2) pivoted .to hinge rod 10 and which provides for guide means'in the tag transport operations past the sensing means 13. To maintain arcuate plate 9 and guide plate 8 in normal closed or down position a magnetic latch means 69 is provided which magnetic means is of sufcient strength to overcome the yieldable spring means 64 of the jogger devices in effecting engagement of the tags with guide plate 8. However, should a jam occur in the .tag separating or transport operations such combined force with the spring means 64 will be sufficient to overcome said magnetic latch 69 so that plate 9 and guide plate 8 will be rocked upwardly. Uponupward movement of plate 8 an arm 70 thereon will release a switch member 71 to open the circuit for motor M and stop the machine operations.

To disable the above operations of the jogger means by the tag separating devices and to displace the tag stack free of the guide plate 8 the tag stack may be moved right- Wardly at any time by merelyl employing a rightward operation to the manual lever 31 (FIG. l).

It is obvious that because of the time that would be lost in rectifying a tag jam any inadvertent tag jamming during an operation will act to reduce considerably the ltotal number of tags that might otherwise be processed. To be practical therefore devices of the above character must be capable of processing a great number of tags successively with a minimum amount of stoppage incidentv to tag jamming. j Applicaiitjs novel devices which utilize the .tag separating means for' aligning subsequent tags during each tag separating operation provides for maintaining a uniform pressure upon the tag stack bythe slack advancing means, f iiid by effectingv .an alignment of a ta g with the guide blank forming part of thethroat means for subsequently receiviiig said tag in the iranspert means,- arid further in conforming said guide 'blank to Aeffect the correction of 'any tags that may be in a warped condition has iii actual practice been found to geatly reduce the incident of tag jamming'. 4

While there have -ben sh'vvniid poiritd @ut the fundamental novel features of the invent'i as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will beundestoodthit various omissions, substitutions, and changes in .tlie feriti and details of the -devices illustrated and in their opr`= tions may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

l claim:

1. In a device for separating sheets a stack; the combination comprising a magazine for supporting a stack of said sheets for individually from bodily movement toward one end of the magazine;

means for advancing the sheet stack toward said end;

a sheet ejecting member engageable with the trailing edge ,of the end sheet in the stack for moving said sheet edgewise from the magazine;

guide means including a surface in parallel relation with said sheet ejecting member and engageable by the leading edge of a suceeding sheet; and

jogging means operable by said sheet ejectirig member in `a direction of sheet ejection for displacing said Succeeding sheet to bring the leading edge thereof into engagement with said surface whereby to align the said succeeding sheet with respect to said sheet ejecting member.

2.1 The invention according to claim 1 said jogging i lsaid support means is slidably mounted for manual operations whereby to displace said elongated member therewith for enabling and disabling operations of the said jogging means.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and wherein the said means for advancing the sheet stack includes means on said control member adapted for engage-A ment with said worm drivefor effecting a lateral displacement of said carriage, whereby to advance the said stack of sheets in'uniform manner toward one end of said magazine.

5. The invention according to claim 4 said manual `control meansbeing adapted for operation in a given plane for-engaging or releasing said control member from said worm drive and in a plane transverse to said first plane whereby to effect manual lateral displace-'.

ment ofthe said carriage.,

6. The invention according to claim S and including means for holding said 'control member in engagement with said worm drive under control of gravity.

7. In `a mechanism vfor successively feeding record sheets edgewise from a stack thereof; the combination comprising a magazine for supporting said stack of sheets for' bodily movement toward one end of the magazine; means for advancing the sheet stack toward said end; a sheet separating member engageable with the traildge of the end sheet of the stack for moving said sheet e'gdewise free of an adjacen-t sheet;

`aligner means adapted for engagement by the leading edge of said adjacentsheet;

a sheet jogging member movable in sheet ejecting direction by the sheet separating member and engageable with the trailing edgeof said adjacent sheet for dis- 40 placing the leading edge of said sheet into engagement with said aligner means whereby to bring the trailing edge of said sheet into an aligned condition with respect to the said separating member..

8. In a device for feeding record sheets seriatim from stack: the combination of a magazine including a removable tray for stacking said sheets edgewisev therein;

means for advancing said stack toward 'an open end of said tray;

a reciprocating member including a picker knife engageable with one edge of an end sheet as emitted from said tray and adapted for moving said sheet edgewise free of an adjacent sheet;

a sheet jogging member reciprocated by said first named reciprocating member in a timed relation therewith and having movement `of lesser extent thereto; and

aligner means cooperable with a yplurality of sheets adjacent subsequent to vthe said end sheet, said reciprocation of the said jogging member serving near the end of an active stroke of the said first named reciprocating member to displace said plurality of sheets for selective .engagement with said aligner means to bring any misaligned sheet thereof into parallel alignment with respect to the said picker knife.

9. The rinvention according to claim 8,'said aligner vmeans including a plate having a cam surface for progres'- lsively displacing a .sheet along a plane normal to the di- 70 rectionof the sheet stack movement.

10. -In a mechanism for feeding sheets edgewise seriatim from an advancing stack of sheets; the combination com- Y an v gtransport means adapted for receiving individual sheets f ed from the feeding means;

a guide means having a guide face comprising one side of a throat opening to said transport means;

reciprocating means engaging one edge of an end sheet for moving said sheet into said throat opening for engagement with said transport means; said guide means including a surface area engageable by an edge of a succeeding sheet for aligning said sheet edge in parallel with said throat opening; and

wherein the said guide face of said vguide means includes a pair of corresponding cam face areas each one extending inwardly from an opposite lateral edge of said guide means, each one converging along the sheet entry edge thereof and each one converging with said guide face along respective bias lines extending from a given point of the corresponding lateral edges Ito related respective points on the said entry edge, said cam area cooperable with a moving sheet for aligning the sheet in accordance with said guide face.

11.A The invention according to claim 10: and including a recessed portion along said guide face for receiving embossed portions of a tag being advanced past said throat opening.

12. The invention according to claim 10 and wherein lthe said transport means includes an arcuate plate dening a passage from said guide means, said arcuate plate being pivotally hinged for rocking movement at a point remote from said guide means; and

wherein said guide means is fast upon the said arcuate plate for movement therewith incident to any sheet jamming occurring during sheet transport ope-rations.

13. The invention according to claim 12 and including a magnetic means for releasably holding said arcuate plate in a given position by a predetermined force.

14. In an apparatus for feeding sheets edgewise seriatirn from an advancing stack of sheets; the combination comprising transport means adapted for receiving individual sheets fed from the feeding means;

a member defining a throat opening to said transport means;

said transport means including an arcuate plate defining a passage from said throat opening;

said arcuate being pivotally hinged for rocking movement at a point remote from said throat opening; and wherein said member is fast upon said arcuate plate for movement therewith incident to any indvertent jamming of a sheet in entering said throat opening. 15. In an apparatus for feeding sheets edgewise seriatirn from a stack pile; in combination means for receiving individual sheets from the feeding means;

guide member forming along one face thereof a throat opening including an entry edge to said receiving means;

a pair of corresponding cam areas on said face, each area receding inwardly from an opposite lateral edge of said guide member and converging toward said face along said edge and each area converging with said face along respective bias lines extending from a given point of the corresponding lateral edges to related respective points on the said entry edge; and y each of said cam areas adapted for engagement by a moving sheet to the purpose of aligning said sheet with the said throat opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,074 1/1919 Milmoe et al. 271-41 2,191,586 2/1940 Richard 271-43 3,089,697 5/1963 Brozo 271-34 iM. HENsoN WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

W. F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR SEPARATING SHEETS INDIVIDUALLY FROM A STACK; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A MAGAZINE FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OF SAID SHEETS FOR BODILY MOVEMENT TOWARD ONE END OF THE MAGAZINE; MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE SHEET STACK TOWARD SAID END; A SHEET EJECTING MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE END SHEET IN THE STACK FOR MOVING SAID SHEET EDGEWISE FROM THE MAGAZINE; GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING A SURFACE IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH SAID SHEET EJECTING MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE LEADING EDGE OF A SUCCEEDING SHEET; AND JOGGING MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID SHEET EJECTING MEMBER IN A DIRECTION OF SHEET EJECTION FOR DISPLACING SAID SUCCEEDING SHEET TO BRING THE LEADING EDGE THEREOF INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SURFACE WHEREBY TO ALIGN THE SAID SUCCEEDING SHEET WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHEET EJECTING MEMBER. 